Check Yes If You Love Me
by musiclover3
Summary: Draw my name on your heart, and never, ever forget me. A love made out of paper hearts is stronger than love made out of gold. Four-shot containing different pairings. Second up: Jonah/Sinead
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story is a four-shot containing four different stories with different pairings. All of these are AU and are not connected together in any way whatsoever. This first one is Evan/Amy/Ian and the words in bold are different lines from poetry that Evan had written. I don't support any particular pairing for Amy, but I'm fine writing for any of them._

_Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues_

**I'll love you till the autumn leaves start to fall...**

Evan Tolliver had grown up with the philosophy that "everything happened for a reason." His mother had told him that whenever something went wrong. A lost soccer game, a rejection; anything like that would earn him an "everything happens for a reason" speech. At first he thought it was ridiculous. His mother was practically saying that fate had everything to do with his losses, and Evan didn't believe in fate. But as he grew older, he began to believe in that little saying. It had become comforting in a way, knowing that even after something bad happened, something good would surely come his way.

He had never liked the season of fall.

The leaves would get everywhere, and he would have to spend hours trying to rake all of the multi-colored leaves from his front and backyard. He loved the colors, though. The greens, reds, and oranges of the leaves inspired him. He would spend hours outside sitting on his front porch, his notebook in hand, writing about everything he saw. The leaves, the sky, the smell of autumn; he would write about everything and somehow make a story out of them. His poems were everything to him, and if he were to lose them, he would lose everything. The only thing he vaguely liked about fall was the fact that he could spend hours writing about it.

But that all changed that one autumn day.

He had been taking a stroll through the woods near his house, his notebook in hand, looking up at the leaves and waiting to be inspired, when he felt someone push him forward, knocking the notebook out of his hands. It fell into the small lake next to them, the notebook slowly turning wet and soggy.

"I am so sorry!"

Evan turned around to see a girl behind him. Her hair was reddish-brown, matching the leaves on the trees so perfectly. Her jade green eyes looked up at him with panic and sorrow clearly evident. She wore an old sweater that was a few sizes too big and dirty jeans with mud stains on them. She was like no one he had ever seen. All of the other girls he knew- which weren't many- would have been horrified to look in such a way, but Evan found himself being more captivated by the sight of the girl in those ratty clothes than any other girl he had ever seen.

He almost forgot about his ruined notebook.

**and the sun sets for eternity**

"Welcome back to school!"

Evan couldn't say he was happy to be back. He loved learning, yes, but being back at school wasn't something he had been looking forward to. The students there had no respect for anything, and the teachers were just as bad. If he had been able to, he would have transferred high schools. But his mother already had a hard time paying the rent for their apartment, and Evan didn't want his mother having to go through the process of putting him in another school.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and quickly put in the combination for his locker. He was so preoccupied with feeling sorry for himself, that he didn't realize he had hit someone with his locker door until he heard the tell-tale, 'ow!'

He quickly turned around, alarm written across his face. "Oh, geez, I'm so sorry..." Whatever else he had been planning to say faded from his mind. "It's you!"

The girl who had destroyed his notebook stood before him, clutching her nose with her hand, a pained expression on her face. She gave him a wry smile and said, "I guess we're even now, huh?"

**I'll catch you every time you fall...**

Amy. That was her name. He had learned this after the locker incident, when she had casually told him and pretended as if he hadn't just slammed his locker door in her face. They had almost the exact same class schedule, besides their last class. Their first class was English, and he had offered to walk with her to class. She had gratefully accepted, and the locker incident was readily forgotten.

It was cute, he had to admit, the way she stuttered through her introduction and blushed at the attention. She hadn't acted that way towards him, but perhaps that was because of the fact that they had met before. Either way, he thought the expression on her face was cute. He must have been staring at her, because when she took her seat next to him, her face turned redder and she avoided looking at him for the rest of class.

"Do you need help with any of that, Amy?" he asked after their class had ended.

Amy was carrying several books in her arm, and her backpack was slung over one shoulder. She claimed that her backpack's zipper was broken, and so she couldn't put any of her books in there. She needed several textbooks for her morning classes, and so she had to carry them all in her arms until she got a new one. When he had asked why she still took the backpack with her, she had smiled sheepishly and had told him that her grandmother had bought it for her.

That was explanation enough for him.

"I'm fine," she replied, biting her lip in concentration as she adjusted the books in her arms. She managed to give him a small smile. "Thanks, though."

"You sure- oof!" The wind was knocked out of him as a particularly clumsy student ran into him, causing him to run into Amy. She let out a little squeal as the books fell out of her arms. Evan barely managed to wrap his arms around her waist and catch her before they both fell. Amy looked up at him, a fearful look in her eyes.

"You alright?" he murmured, awkwardly realizing the postion they were in.

She smiled shyly at him and nodded. "Thanks to you."

The fast beating of his heart had nothing to do with the fact that he had almost fallen to the ground.

**but let you go when you need me to**

They found out quite quickly that they lived just a few blocks away from each other, so everyday Evan walked her home from school and went straight to his house afterwards. The usual street they walked on was blocked that day because of a car accident, and so they had to take the long way home. It was then that they passed by an old playground. It was empty save for them, and moderately big in size.

Amy walked towards it slowly, as if in a trance.

"Amy?" he called, running up to her. "What's wrong?"

Amy stopped in front of the swing set, an almost nostalgic expression on her face. "I used to play here with my brother when I was younger. Our grandmother would take us up here all the time."

They were both silent for a moment, the only sound coming from the whistling of the wind.

"Do you want to go on the swings?" Evan broke the silence, staring at her intently.

Amy looked startled. "What?"

"Do you want to go on the swings?" he repeated. "For old time sake?"

She pursed her lips, glancing at the swinging seats a few feet from her. "...Can we?"

A few minutes later, he was pushing her high into the sky, her reddish-brown hair flowing behind her. The setting sun made her pale face seem brighter, and the peaceful expression on her face just added to the stunning image.

"Let go, Evan."

"What?" Evan looked at her, startled.

She looked down at him, a smile on her face. "I'm going to jump."

"_What?_"

"I never had the courage to do that when I was younger," she explained. "I would watch my brother do it all the time, but I was always afraid of falling and hurting myself. But I want to do it now."

"Amy..." Evan said hesitantly.

She smiled softly at him. "I'll be fine."

Evan reluctantly gave his approval. "But if anything goes wrong, I'll catch you."

Nothing went wrong.

**I'll remember you every time I see the sun...**

She was holed up in the library. As usual. It was Sunday, and Amy had been spending her time in the library downtown all day. Evan didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to feel neglected.

"Ames..." He had started to call her that a few months ago when she had told him that the name 'Amy' had started to seem too common and too normal a name. He had given her the nickname 'Ames' and she had fallen in love with it the moment he had said it. "Don't you want to go outside? It's Sunday. You've been cooped up in here all day."

She didn't even glance up from her book. "I'm fine," she replied immediately. "I'm fine right here."

Evan sighed. "Ames, you can't stay in here forever. You haven't gone out in the sun since school got out."

Amy frowned. "I went out in the sun this morning."

"You have plenty of time to read later," Evan said, gently closing the book in her hands. "But right now I'm taking you out. How about some ice cream?"

**because you are my sun**

She had ordered vanilla. He had ordered chocolate. He had insisted for her to let him pay for it, and had led her to a nearby bench near the ice cream parlor, claiming that eating ice cream outside was the best way to enjoy it.

Amy shot him a sheepish smile. "It's good."

Evan smiled triumphantly at her. "See? I told you this would be good for you."

She chuckled. "I guess you're right. Maybe I _was _spending too much time inside."

"_Maybe?_" He raised an eyebrow at her.

She bumped shoulders with him playfully. "Alright, I _was _spending too much time inside. Are you happy now?"

"Yes," he replied with a smile. "I am _very _happy that you finally admitted that I was right."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a smile so bright that it could have rivaled the sun.

**I'll protect you forever...**

"I hate horror movies," Amy mumbled, shielding her eyes from the television screen.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to watch it," Evan reminded her playfully.

"That's because Dan wouldn't shut up about it," she replied, taking a quick peek between her fingers at the screen. "I wanted to see what he was so excited about."

"Well, maybe we should have expected for it to be a horror movie." Evan shifted his position on the couch, subtly scooting closer to her.

Amy unconsciously scooted closer to him, making their shoulders touch. "I don't see anything good about this movie."

Evan tried to hide his smile and nodded sagely. "It does have bad graphics."

Amy sent him a small glare and quickly hid her face in her hands again.

"It's not real, Ames." He gently removed her hands from her face. "Don't worry about it."

Neither of them would have admitted it, but they both felt safer when they held each other's hands.

**and love you for even longer**

Evan had never liked Valentine's Day, but he dreaded White Day even more. Even though America didn't officially celebrate White Day, many people in their high school celebrated it anyway. If a boy had received something from a girl on Valentine's Day, he would have to repay her and get her something as well on White Day. It was just a reminder to Evan that no one had gotten him anything on Valentine's Day, and White Day just felt like another slap in the face.

He and Amy had agreed to not get anything for each other on Valentine's Day, both of them knowing that that would just be awkward. So they acted as if it was just another day, and pretended not to notice the exchanges of gifts from the other students.

Evan closed his locker door and adjusted his backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked up, only to be surprised with a bouquet of roses being held up to his face. He blinked at the flowers, trying to process that he was really seeing what he was seeing. He glanced over the flowers, only to see Amy awkwardly holding them up to him with the most adorable blush on her cheeks. No words needed to be said, and Evan accepted the flowers silently.

They both knew.

**I'll keep you in my heart, locked up tight...**

Their first date was casual and normal. He had taken her out to eat at a moderately expensive restaurant, and they had gone out to see a movie afterwards. They had done this several times before as just friends, but seeing as it was an actual date together, it had become a thousand times more awkward. There wasn't much conversation during dinner; just the occasional blush and awkward smile. Evan was starting to think that perhaps this wasn't a good idea after all.

But then they arrived at the movie theater.

The room was dark, and the commercials had already started. They quickly found two seats in the middle of the room and sat down, trying to ignore how close they were together. Evan tried to focus on the movie and not on the green-eyed girl beside him. He felt a pressure on his hand, and looked down to see that Amy had grabbed it. She looked up at him, and even though the room was dark, the blush on her face was clearly visible. He curled his fingers between hers and smiled shyly at her.

Everything would be fine.

**and hope that's enough to keep you from flight**

Their first kiss was short and sweet. It had happened on their way home from school. They had been holding hands silently, taking their time to get home, when Evan had managed to gather up enough courage to give her a kiss.

It was just on the cheek, but perhaps that was more meaningful than a kiss on the lips.

**I'll be your hero, your knight in shining armor...**

He had come at the beginning of the school year.

_"He's an exchange student," the teacher had said. "from Britain."_

He had the accent. He was charming. He was handsome. He was rich. He had everything and was everything Evan could never be, and he easily captivated the whole class.

Except for Evan.

The smirk on his face, the gleaming amber eyes; it made Evan uneasy. Something was wrong with him, but Evan couldn't figure out what. All he knew was that he didn't trust him, and he wasn't as wonderful as everyone seemed to think.

_"My name is Ian," the new student had said with a smirk. "Ian Kabra."_

He charmed everyone.

And he easily charmed Amy as well.

**and protect you from the villain with all his dark, wicked glamour**

Amy and Ian had been partnered up for a science project the next day, and Evan wasn't happy in the slightest. Amy seem flustered with the announcement, and she even _blushed_. Ian just took the announcement in stride and sent her a most handsome smirk, causing her cheeks to turn even redder.

The glare Evan sent him could have turned him into ashes.

"I'm sorry, Evan," Amy had replied apologetically when he had come over to her to walk her home. "I'm going home with Ian today... for the project."

Evan didn't think she looked nearly as upset about that as she should have.

"Tomorrow then?" he asked, trying not to let Amy see how upset he was.

Amy nodded, although she didn't look sure. "Tomorrow."

They didn't walk home the next day. Or the day after that.

She walked home with Ian.

**You're the rhyme that always fit...**

When had Amy become everything to him? When had she become the center of his whole world? He used to walk her home, call her every night, hug her goodbye, but it seemed that now she only ever wanted to hang out with that Kabra.

It hurt. It stung. It burned.

His heart hurt.

**and the song that always sung**

Evan looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom, his arms crossed over his chest. He had been doing that for ten minutes; thinking about Amy, Ian, and everything else in his life. The project was due the next day, and then Amy wouldn't have to spend so much time with that Kabra anymore. She would be able to spend time with him again, so Evan should have been happy, right? The aching feeling in his heart should have gone away and been replaced with excitement. He would be able to spend time with his girlfriend, so why wasn't he happy? Why wouldn't the aching feeling in his heart go away?

The radio he had placed on his desk played softly in the backgroud, an old romantic song being played.

Amy had always loved that song.

**You're the bird that flew away...**

Even after the project was turned in, Amy still spent time with Ian. She claimed it was because he didn't have many friends at school, but Evan knew that that wasn't true. Ian could have as many friends as he wanted, but Amy seemed resolute in her decision to spend time with him.

Evan was quick to share his reluctance. "I don't know, Ames... He just doesn't seem to be..."

"A good guy?" Amy finished.

Evan hesitantly nodded, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"He's not the best guy out there," Amy admitted slowly. "But he's not that bad. Really. Once you get to know him, you'd realize that he's actually a great guy."

Evan pursed his lips, not at all convinced. "I don't know, Ames. I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be friends with him."

Amy was silent for a moment, but then she said, "Are you jealous?" She gave him no time to reply. "We're just friends, Evan, and that's all we're ever going to be. You don't need to worry. _You're _my boyfriend, not Ian." She gave him a sheepish smile. "I know I haven't been spending much time with you lately, and I'm sorry for that. I'll make sure to spend more time with you."

Evan still wasn't completely satisfied, but he'd take what he could get.

_When was it that I started to compete for my girlfriend's attention?_

**with the snake that could not be tamed**

That Kabra was stealing his girlfriend away from him, and he knew it.

The self-satisfied smirk, the triumphant glint in his eyes; Evan knew that the Kabra was trying to steal Amy away from him. It used to be Evan who would walk Amy home from school, but now that Kabra was taking her home. Amy would say goodbye to him on her way out of school and smile apologetically as Ian led her away. He would give her a smile and tell her he would call her, as Ian watched in the background, a smirk on his face. Evan would call her every night before bed.

But she never answered.

**I wanted to be the prince who found your glass slipper...**

He saw her having dinner with Ian the next weekend.

His cousin had come over to visit them, and so his mother decided to take them all out for dinner at some new French restaurant with a name Evan had no idea how to pronouce. His cousin had insisted on paying for everything, and Evan found himself enjoying himself for the first time in weeks.

Until he saw them.

Amy and Ian were seated just a few tables away from them. Amy's eyes sparkled in the dim lights of the restaurant as she talked excitedly to Ian, who listened and nodded every so often. He seemed to actually be listening to her words, much to Evan's disappointment. They seemed to actually be enjoying each other's company, and it didn't make Evan happy to say the least. It was as if they were on a date.

But Amy would never do that to him.

Right?

**But then you fell in love with the big tipper**

It happened on a rainy day.

It was quite fitting, Evan often mused whenever he looked back on that day. That it was raining the day Amy broke up with him. It had happened near the end of the school day. She had walked up to him as he stood next to his locker, a torn expression on her face.

"Evan..." she said, biting her lip. "We need to talk."

Evan closed his locker. "That's never good," he tried to joke, a sinking feeling in his gut.

Amy paused for a moment, as if choosing what words to say next. "You know I love you, Evan. You're my best friend."

Evan swallowed, his throat feeling dry. "I love you, too, Ames."

He felt guilty that he felt triumphant when Amy flinched at his words. "You're a great guy, Evan. The best. You've always been there for me when I needed you." She paused for a second, as if to let him prepare for her next words. "And that's why you're my best friend."

Evan suddenly felt weary. "But only you're best friend, right?"

Amy nodded, a guilty look in her eyes. "I'm really sorry, Evan. I really did like you..." She stopped, as if realizing that her words were just going to make things worse.

Evan tried to smile at her. "It's alright, Ames. If you really want this, then it's fine."

"Really?" Amy asked doubtfully. She shuffled her feet on the floor, and Evan suddenly realized how quiet the hallway was.

"Yeah." He gave her a sad smile, not having the energy to make it seem like he was happy for her. "Just... I'm here for you, alright? Whatever happens... I'll always be here for you."

Amy gave him a sad smile. "Right."

They were silent for a moment, just standing awkwardly together, but then Evan said, "I hope you're happy with Ian."

Amy flinched. "Yeah... I am."

Evan nodded slowly. "That's good." He gave her a hesitant smile. "Well, see you later?"

"Do you want to walk home together?" Amy asked hesitantly. "We haven't done that in a while."

He gave her an apologetic smile. "No thanks, Ames. Why don't you hitch a ride with Ian? It's raining. I don't want you to get sick."

Amy looked at him guiltily. "What about you?"

He raised up the umbrella he held limply in his hand. "I've got an umbrella. I'll be fine."

"Right." Amy cleared her throat and held out her hand.

Evan grabbed it in his and held it for a few moments, savoring the feeling of her hand in his. He wanted to remember it forever. "See you later, Ames."

Amy nodded and slid her hand out of his. She walked towards the door and took one look back at him, the eyes he had always loved sparkling apologetically at him. He put his hand up in a wave of goodbye and watched as she walked out the door.

"See you later," he repeated, his words echoing around the empty hallway.

**Remember me forever...**

Graduation came a few months later.

Evan had completely immersed himself in his studies, trying to ignore the beautiful green-eyed girl he had fallen in love with and the one who had stolen her away from him. They hadn't spoken with each other much since that day in the hallway. Every so often, she would give him a polite good morning and he would give her a quick smile. But that was the farthest their relationship had ever got. They had slowly drifted apart, and it was as if they were complete strangers. Evan tried to ignore the hurt he felt and focused more on his studies. Amy had become the valedictorian, just like he knew she would, and he was happy for her.

"I know I haven't been with you all for a very long time," Amy continued with her speech. "And I don't know much about you all, but I know that we've had a lot of good times together, and I'll treasure them for the rest of my life. We all might have not been the best of friends. We didn't have each other on speed dial, and we didn't constantly go to each other's houses to hang out, but that's okay. We all have our different stories to tell about the time we were here, and we might not have been together for very long... but we all have some good memories here, and I'll treasure them for the rest of my life."

"I can't promise that I'll remember all of you; I don't even know all of your names, but let's all make a promise to each other: To never forget the memories we had here. Let's never forget the good memories, the bad memories, the best friends, the worst of friends; let's remember it all. We are all going on our separate paths to our own futures, but let's never forget the memories we made here in this school. Let's hold on to it, treasure it, and remember them forever. I've gone through a lot the years I've been here, and they hold some of the best memories I've ever had. So let's promise each other that we'll hold on to these memories, and look back at them with a smile. I know that I'll never regret having them."

Evan clapped and cheered along with everyone else as Amy stepped down from the podium, a bright smile on her face. He caught her eye as she walked back to her seat. She gave him a soft smile, making her eyes sparkle.

And he smiled back.

**That's all I ask of you...**

Evan had decided to move away from home and go to college a few states away. He had heard that Amy and Ian had decided to go study in London, and he had tried to ignore the feeling he had in his heart when he heard the news. As the years went by, things got better. He made friends, dated a few girls, studied hard to become a scientist; he did just what he had always wanted to do.

But he had never managed to forget about the green-eyed girl who had run into him just a few years before on a regular autumn day.

**And keep me in your heart...**

He saw her again in New York.

He had graduated a year before, and had managed to get a good job in New York City. The city was almost too much for him; he had always only ever been used to small town life. But he was slowly starting to get used to the hustle and bustle of city life.

He never saw her coming.

She had run into him on her way to work, knocking him down onto one of the busy streets in New York.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even see you! I woke up late today and slept through my alarm clock, and now I'm late for work," she babbled, grabbing his hand and helping him up. "I'm really sorry, sir. Are you hurt?"

Evan looked at her in disbelief. Her hair had gottten longer, and her face had matured, but she was definitely the same Amy he had known those years before. "Amy?"

Amy froze, looking up at Evan in surprise. "How do you-? Wait... Evan?" She squinted her eyes at him, as if trying to distinguish the boy she had known back in high school. "It's really you?"

Evan gave her a smile. "Evan Tolliver."

She studied him for a moment, but then her face relaxed into a smile. "I didn't expect to see you in New York."

"I didn't expect to see you either," Evan replied, trying to find the shy, stuttering girl he had met in the woods all those years before. "I thought you were in London."

Amy smiled shyly, twirling a lock of her hair nervously. "Ian and I graduated a while ago. He got a job offering here in New York, so we decided to move."

"Where's the accent?" Evan asked, a playful smile on his lips.

Amy let out a little laugh. He hadn't realized just how much he missed the sound. "It went away a while ago, I'm afraid." She mimicked his playful smile. "It's a shame, too. I think people took me more seriously with the accent."

They shared a laugh together, and Evan could have pretended that they were their naive teenage selves again, laughing and smiling with each other like they used to do.

"How have you been, Evan?" Amy asked, her posture relaxed and her lips curled into a smile. She looked even more radiant and beautiful now then she did back in high school.

"I've been great," he replied. "What about you, Ames?"

Ames. He hadn't spoken the name in years, and the word had a strange feeling to it. Amy looked surprised that he had remembered it, but didn't comment on it. "Everything's great." She smiled hesitantly. "Ian and I are getting married soon." As if to prove her point, the sun glinted off of the golden ring on her finger, shining brightly for him to see.

"That's great, Ames!" He smiled, trying to feel happy for her when he knew he couldn't feel anything but sorrow. "When's the wedding?"

"About two months from now," she replied, her smile becoming even brighter. "We're planning on going back to London to have it there. All of his family members live there, and I know Dan has always wanted to go there, whether he admits it or not."

"That's great, Ames." He smiled softly at her. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks." She smiled back. "You know, I'd love to have my best friend come to my wedding, too."

Best friend. He nodded, and after she gave him the details, she waved to him and told him she had to go. He watched her walk away from him, her hair gleaming in the sunlight. He looked up at the sun, a soft smile on his face.

_Everything happens for a reason_.

Perhaps now he could move on.

**Just like I will for you**

_And the photograph of two best friends falls to the ground, fading to black and white._

_He believed in love everlasting_

_She believed in fairytales_

_He could have been her happy ending_

_But she decided to run away with the dragon instead_

_~Fin~_

_A/N: Like I mentioned above, the bold words are lines from poems that Evan had written. I apologize if I have any mistakes in my writing; this is a pretty long one-shot, and so I probably missed something._

_Next up: Sinead/Jonah: Draw my name on your heart, and never, ever forget me._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I recently changed this story to a four-shot, because I got an idea for another pairing. So this story will now have four chapters, and I think I'll end it with that. This second one is Jonah/Sinead. I had been meaning to post this as a separate one-shot on Valentine's Day, but I couldn't, so I was almost not going to write it. But then I got the idea for this story, and I decided to add it in here. I was going to post this yesterday on White Day, but I had homework and I just recently got my laptop fixed, so I couldn't. I hope you'll still like this one. Just pretend it's White Day… The words in italics are separate lyrics to different songs of Jonah's. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues_

* * *

_Draw my name on your heart,_

_and never, ever forget me_

* * *

February 14

The first time they met he had been trying to sell her chocolates in a heart shaped box. She had slammed the door in his face in response.

But let's back up first, shall we?

Jonah Wizard was not the wealthiest teenager in Boston. Sure, he might wear gold chains around his neck that should have caused his head to fall off, and yes, he wore several gold rings on his fingers, but what most people didn't know was that they were all fake. Really, Jonah could barely afford to buy a candy bar from the local grocery store.

But no one needed to know that, right?

Jonah's family wasn't rich. They lived in a two room apartment just a few blocks away from the college he went to, and even then he had to keep up his grades to maintain his scholarship. Girls didn't give him a passing glance, (which didn't make any sense to him. After all, he was the handsomest gentleman on campus) and the other fellows didn't even bother to invite him over to their house to watch the big game or play a friendly game of basketball. Really, the only person who would give him the time of day was the eighty-year-old woman next door who could _really _use a shower. And a new hearing aid.

_Honestly. _His life was a mess.

He was just an amateur musician trying to get by. He wrote his lyrics in his songbook and wrote the piano notes in an old notebook that he hadn't used since middle school. It was pathetic, but he was the last person who would admit that.

He had been trying to get a record deal for the last year, but no one would give him a chance. To them, he was just another poor unfortunate fellow who needed to find a new dream. Well, he didn't _want _a new dream. Music was his life. Take that away from him and he was nothing but plastic gold chains and cheap gold rings.

So that was why he found himself standing in front of a lovely one-story house with cute little flowerbeds and purple and white paint. It was a little too girly for his taste, but he had to admit, it looked better than his place.

He clutched the heart shaped box of chocolates closer to his heart and sighed with a little too much depression. Here he was, standing in front of what he was pretty sure was a cute girl's house, holding a box of chocolates- shaped like _hearts _for goodness sake- and on Valentine's Day with no girlfriend whatsoever. He looked up at the door in front of him. Maybe it was his lucky day.

Or not, since he was, after all, trying to sell chocolates to some random stranger who may or may not be a cute girl.

He rang the doorbell and mentally prepared himself for whoever was behind the door.

He was not disappointed.

She was cute, a little tall, but cute nonetheless. She had auburn hair tied up in a neat ponytail, and freckles dotted her face. Green eyes looked at him warily, and she was a lot prettier than he had expected. She reminded him of another green-eyed girl he knew from high school. But sadly she was taken, (girls, it seemed, really did fall for British accents) and this girl seemed a lot more confident than she had. She didn't fit the house décor, however, but that didn't bother him in the slightest. She raised an eyebrow at him, obviously waiting for him to say something. He shot her a blinding grin and said:

"Hey, sweetheart. Want to buy some chocolates?"

She took one glance at the box in his hands, and slammed the door in his face.

* * *

_We'll be together forever and always,_

_because we promised each other, right?_

* * *

February 18

He saw her near the fountain a few days later.

He was walking across his college campus to get to his next class, when he caught a glimpse of bright auburn hair near the giant fountain near the science department. He tried to hide his grin. Perhaps his luck was changing after all. He walked over to her confidently, and at a leisurely pace, trying not to make it seem like he was excited to see her.

"Hey, sweetheart. Remember me?"

She turned, instantly frowning when she saw him. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

He put a hand to his heart in mock hurt. "I'm hurt. I thought you'd remember the charming guy who tried to give you his heart on Valentine's Day." He gave her a scolding look. "That door hurt by the way. And my heart was quite delicious if you wanted to know."

"I didn't, but thanks for the information," she responded sarcastically. She fixed him with her piercing stare. "What do you want?"

He gave her a casual smile. "Can't a guy just walk up to a girl and talk for no apparent reason? What's wrong with trying to make friends?"

"It didn't seem like you were trying to be friends last time."

"That was Valentine's Day. I couldn't resist." He gave her the puppy dog eyes, making her roll her eyes. "Come on, can't we start over?"

She pursed her lips and gave him a wary look. "I don't trust guys who wear fake jewelry. It's kind of a turn off for girls."

He grinned, already liking this girl. "I'll buy you a thousand real diamonds if you'll just give me the time of day."

"It's ten in the morning. I'll expect those diamonds by tomorrow."

"Anything for you."

* * *

_You can break my heart as often as you want,_

_but I'll always love you no matter what_

* * *

March 13

"Nice house."

He let himself in through the front door, taking in the warmth and the smell of cookies as he walked into the living room. "Reminds me of my grandma's house."

"Ha, ha, very funny," she said sarcastically. Sinead- for that was her name- walked out of the kitchen towards him, her hair in the usual ponytail. He thought Sinead was a cute name, and her last name, Starling, just made it even cuter. She obviously didn't think so, however, seeing as when he had told her that, she had stepped on his foot and told him to never say that again.

So it was never brought up after that.

"How did you get in here?" she frowned, taking in his appearance. He wore a black trench coat that went down to his knees, for it was quite cold outside. The usual gold jewelry were nowhere in sight, and he found himself missing the weight of it on his neck and the feeling of it on his fingers.

"I've got a key. You gave it to me, remember?" He dangled the silver key on his finger, showing it for her to see.

Her frown deepened. "I don't remember ever giving you one."

He grinned. "That's the first sign of old age, sweetheart."

She scowled. "Shut up, idiot."

His grin widened. He plopped himself down on her couch, ignoring the look she shot him. "I like your house, Starling. It's cute. I wouldn't expect you to live in one like this."

She was already walking towards the kitchen as she said, "My parents lived here before they moved to New Orleans. I decided it was better than living in one of those dorms on campus."

Jonah raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with those?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Have you seen them?"

"Not all houses can be as cute as yours is, Starling," he teased.

"I'll show you cute," she muttered as she walked into the kitchen.

"I don't think you can get any cuter!" he called back to her, glancing over his shoulder from his position on the couch.

"I'll throw this hot tray at you, Wizard, I swear!"

* * *

_A love made out of paper hearts_

_is stronger than love made out of gold_

* * *

April 4

"Origami?" Sinead raised an eyebrow at him as she watched him fold a paper crane. He was surprisingly good at it. She didn't think he was good at anything but breaking into her house, (no matter how many times she had changed the lock and hid the key, he'd always managed to get in somehow). She looked down at the dozens of paper cranes on the table around him; multi-colored and perfectly folded. "I didn't know you knew how to do origami."

He grinned up at her. "What can I say, Starling? I'm full of surprises."

"It would seem so," she mused, watching as his hands skillfully folded the paper into a crane. She picked an orange one from the table and held it carefully in her hand. "Why are you making so many of these?"

He paused in his folding and looked up at her contemplating face. "Have you ever heard of the Japanese legend about folding a thousand paper cranes?"

She frowned as she looked down at the orange crane in her hand. "I've heard of it."

"Well, it says that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, you'll be granted a wish." He grinned up at her. "I'm hoping my luck gets better after this."

Sinead raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "And you believe that will work?"

Jonah shrugged and went back to folding. "Wouldn't hurt to try, right?"

She watched him work in silence for a moment, watching as he finished folding the blue paper crane and going on to the next one. "And if this works," she said. "what will you wish for?"

He set down the crane he was working on and gave her a warm smile. "Isn't it obvious? A thousand years of happiness with you."

* * *

_Poison me, break me, kill me;_

_but I'll never leave you alone_

* * *

Every so often they would get into fights. All friends did eventually, but that didn't mean Jonah liked them. It consisted of Sinead slamming the door in his face, (he was actually quite used to it now) and Jonah sitting in his room, contemplating whether or not to just give up his pride and call her to apologize, even when it wasn't his fault. But he never did, seeing as his pride was bigger than Antarctica, and Sinead was _scary _when she was angry. He would always get over their fights about an hour later, and he would soon forget what they had fought about. He would give her a couple of days to cool off, and then he would ring her doorbell, (instead of breaking in, mind you. He had some decency) and hand her a box of chocolates, heart shaped and all. She would accept them and punch him in the arm, telling him she couldn't be bought by chocolates but inviting him in and sharing them with him anyway.

It worked.

Their relationship was complicated.

He liked to think her insults were signs of affection.

* * *

_We're the story that never ends, darling,_

'_cause we keep writing new chapters_

* * *

She liked books.

He liked magazines.

She liked classical and jazz music.

He liked rap and pop.

She liked school.

He… not so much.

She liked chocolate.

He liked chocolate.

That was what it all started with.

He liked to take it as a sign.

* * *

_You wanted a fairytale,_

_I have you a happy ending_

* * *

July 23

He moved in that day.

His aunt Leila and his cousin Phoenix were moving in with his mother and father. Their house had become infested with termites, (Jonah thought it was a load of crap, but he didn't say anything) so they had decided to move in with Jonah's parents. He had been promptly kicked out to make room.

Okay.

So it didn't happen _exactly _like that. There had been a lot of pleading and crying and apologizing to him, but he would always say he was kicked out. It made him seem more like a rebel.

When Sinead had found out, she had begrudgingly allowed him to stay with her.

"_Just until you find your own place," _she had said before he had even responded. _"Don't think I'm letting you stay with me, because I'm not. I just don't want to be responsible if I find you living in a box in an alleyway or something." _

He had grinned at her, causing her to slap him upside the head.

He didn't even mind.

* * *

_I wrote you a song,_

_and knew nothing could go wrong_

* * *

November 7

It was official.

He had a record deal.

Of course, it wasn't as easy as he made it sound like. It had taken months of careful planning and sleepless nights, but he had finally managed to get one. He had written the perfect song, they had told him. And he couldn't have been happier to hear it. Finally, his dream had come true, and that might sound cliché, but it was true. He had dreamt about this day for years, and finally, _finally, _it was working out for him.

And it was even better than he had expected it to be.

The lyrics in his songbook were finally able to come to life, and the piano notes were finally able to come off of their pages.

He couldn't mess this up.

"Isn't this great, Sinead?" he asked, shooting his friend a grin as they walked into the recording studio. "You're talking to a soon-to-be superstar."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. But she was smiling. "I never thought I'd see the day." She playfully elbowed him in the side, making him wince in mock hurt.

"Told you have to faith in me," he said, his grin widening.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I should have, huh?"

* * *

_I would die for you,_

_because I have faith that you'd bring me back_

* * *

January 4

She was watching him slip away.

Sinead watched Jonah sing in the recording studio, a closed-eyed smile on his face. He was doing what he loved.

So she should have been happy, right?

But the thing was, she wasn't. He had spent hardly any time with her over the past few months, and he felt like a stranger to her when he was with her. Where was the boy who had held the heart shaped box of chocolates in his hands? Where was the boy with the stupid cheesy pickup lines? Where was the boy who would break into her house and make himself at home when he could have been at his _real _home?

Was he gone?

And as she watched him behind the glass, she knew that he was.

"_Hey, sweetheart. Want to buy some chocolates?"_

* * *

_I wished upon a star for someone to love,_

_and my wish came true when you came along_

* * *

She wasn't expecting him.

It was raining heavily outside, the noise blocking out the sound of the television. It wasn't as if she was listening to it anyway. She had her legs curled up beneath her, a wool blanket wrapped around her, and an aura of self-wallowing depression around her.

The aura was blue.

Blue was the color of depression, right?

So she hadn't expected to hear a frantic knocking on her door. She had at least expected a ring of the doorbell.

But no, just frantic knocking on the door.

She took her time getting up, letting the blanket fall to the floor and the television play silently in the background. She didn't even bother looking through her peephole and just opened the door, letting the cold wet air hit her face.

"Sinead?"

She blinked at the soaking wet figure before her. He was wearing a black hoodie with no traces of gold in sight, but it was Jonah. She was sure of it.

"Jonah?"

He grinned sheepishly at her and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Hey, sweetheart. Want to buy some chocolates?"

He held out a chocolate bar in his hand. The wrapper was wrinkled and shined with dew, but it looked eatable.

He gave her a nervous chuckle when she made no move to take it from him. "I killed the record deal."

A feeling of shock spread through her, but she let him talk, her mind working slower than usual. She was supposed to be the girl who could say anything, who spoke her mind and was able to come up with a plan for anything. But no words came to mind; no plans; and so she just stood in the doorway in her pajamas, letting the rain-soaked boy talk.

"We had different artistic visions," he said, not taking his eyes off of her. "We… didn't agree. Especially about schedules."

She tried to ignore the fluttering in her heart from those words.

"I've realized that I've been neglecting you." He tried to give her a confident laugh, but it came out nervous and guilty. "Not that I think you've minded. I bet you were just waiting for a chance to get rid of me, right?" He pulled down his hood and tried for a smile. "But you're not getting rid of me that easily, Starling. Best friends forever and always, right?"

He held out the chocolate bar again, and this time she took it. She stared down at it and said, "If you leave me again, I'll cook you in my oven."

His posture relaxed and he gave her his usual casual grin. "'Cause my heart tastes good, right?"

* * *

_I'll never forget you,_

_because my heart will remember you always_

* * *

February 14

Jonah watched as Sinead opened the door. A young man about their age stood on the doorstep, a box of heart shaped chocolates in his hand. He had blonde hair spiked up like a shark fin, and a physique that even Jonah found intimidating. He looked uncomfortable standing there, and obviously wanted to be anywhere but where he was then. But Jonah knew that the guy would be appealing to the ladies, and Jonah tried to hide his jealousy, because he just didn't _get _jealous.

"Hello, ma'am," he said nervously, clutching the box of chocolates in his hands. "Would you like to buy some chocolates?"

She promptly slammed the door in his face.

She turned to Jonah who had an amused smile on his face. "What?" she demanded.

He tipped his chair back on two legs, gave her an easy smile, and said in a slow drawl, "You got something against gorgeous salesmen, sweetheart?"

She gave him a glare and said, "Ones who sell chocolate."

"What about me?"

She paused for a moment, and then said, "I wouldn't have let you in my house if that was the case."

"Does that mean I get a kiss?"

She smirked. "You're not that lucky, Wizard."

But he wouldn't let her go that easily. As she passed him, he grabbed her arm and pressed his lips to hers. He gave her a smile and whispered, "A thousand paper cranes."

* * *

_Make a wish, okay?_

_And wish for me_

* * *

_And the song fades to a perfect melody._

_Words are everything_

_Music is never black and white_

_Dreams are golden_

_And love is forever_

_~Fin~_

_A/N: I rushed this to tell you the truth. So it probably sucks. Sorry about that… _

_And yes, Amy is the green-eyed girl from high school, and Ian is the guy with the British accent. Hamilton is the salesman._

_I couldn't resist._

_Next up: Jake/Amy: The first time I met you was in Paris, and I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you._

_Translation: I met you on the streets of Paris_

_[and it was the best day of my life]_


End file.
